Lawmakers want more assistance for Irene, Lee victims

A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers wants Congress to set aside more disaster money to help victims of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

Adam Bosch

A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers wants Congress to set aside more disaster money to help victims of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

Thirty-two representatives wrote a letter Wednesday to the chairman and ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, urging them to include more disaster cash in their budget bills for 2012. Those bills will be considered starting in November.

The bipartisan letter was signed by local representatives Nan Hayworth, R-Mount Kisco, and Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley.

The letter warns that a $2.65 billion boost the disaster funds in October will not be enough to help farmers, businesses and local governments recover from the two storms that left huge swaths of damage along the East Coast.

"While this funding is critical in helping our districts rebuild," the letter said, "it represents a down payment on the path to full recovery."

While lawmakers did not say how much additional funding is needed, they did point to 11 funds that require more money to support disaster-related programs.

They include U.S. Department of Agriculture programs that help farmers recover from crop losses and other damage, watershed programs that help remove debris from streams and creeks clogged by storms, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency fund that provides money to rebuild roads, bridges and other public infrastructure.

As of mid-October, FEMA has approved $21 million in disaster funds for homeowners in Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties. The price tag for damage to local roads and public infrastructure is less clear, but public officials said it was likely to reach tens of millions of dollars.